Shadow of Memories
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| Shadow of Memories | |
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| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, Windows, Xbox |
| Release date | Playstation 2 Windows Xbox |
| Genre(s) | Adventure game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Teen OFLC (AU): M 15+ |
| Media | DVD, CD-ROM |
| System requirements | Windows 95, Pentium 450 MHz, 64 MB RAM, 16 MB videocard, 700 MB Hdd |
| Input methods | Mouse and Keyboard, or Gamepad |
Shadow of Memories is a video game released by Konami in 2001. The American release of the game is called Shadow of Destiny. Shadow of Memories is the release title for the Asian and European markets. An early working title for the game was The Day of Walpurgis.[citation needed]
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[edit] Plot overview
The main story revolves around a 22-year-old man named Eike Kusch who dies in the beginning of the game in the year 2001 in fictional German town named Lebensbaum (Life Tree), from being stabbed in the back after leaving a small diner. However, he wakes up in a dark, strange place, where a mysterious voice offers to send him back in time to prevent his death.
Given the ability to travel through time via a device known as a digipad, Eike has to visit four eras - the present day (2001), 1980, 1902 and 1580 - in which he will meet people that are all somehow connected to his life and destiny, as well as figure out a way of stopping his own murder at various points in the present.
The game explores the deep question of who we really are and provokes many other philosophical thoughts. Adding to the realism of the game, some mysteries remain completely unsolved. Interestingly, the nature of the game is that Eike's time-travelling adventures can result in drastically different games. Sometimes, the actions of a character in one play-through can be completely different in another, revealing different origins, and wholly different lives depending on Eike's actions (similar to Westwood's Blade Runner or Quantic Dream's Fahrenheit). There is an overall set of actions that can be inferred from the different endings, but there are also conflicting results that cannot possibly co-exist. It is up to the player to find out what is truly happening in the game.
[edit] Main characters
- Eike Kusch
The protagonist of this story. During a previous visit Eike fell in love with the city - the backdrop of this story. Standing about six feet tall, Eike is a mild-mannered youth. He doesn't talk much about himself. But an inexplicable shadow shrouds him. He dies at the beginning of this story, but his death also gives him the ability to travel back to related past times. Taking advantage of this magical ability, Eike tries to reverse his fate. He handles all developments calmly.
Homunculus is the name used by a mysterious creature who seeks to help Eike escape his death. He is the one who gives Eike the DIGIPAD which he may use to travel through time.
- Dana
Dana is a woman who works part-time at the coffee shop where Eike awakes from his death. Having no family, Dana is somewhat timid and shy, but has a quiet strength at her core. She tends to think mainly of herself, often feeling that no one understands her. She suffers from a persistent sense of loneliness.
- The Fortune Teller
A dweller of the present day, the mysterious-looking fortune-teller gives Eike a prophecy concerning his destiny.
- Eckart Brum
A broad-minded man and the Curator of a private Art Museum, Eckart has known Eike for many years. He apparently loves cats. His museum houses many items associated with the city, including paintings by native artists and old photographs. Eckart appears to be hiding something very important from Eike...
- Miriam Brum
Eckart's wife, who died in a random shooting on a snowy day in 1980.
- Dr. Wolfgang Wagner
Doctor Wagner lives in the Middle Ages, selling medicines and studying Alchemy in an underground laboratory. He had earlier sought a cure-all for his ailing wife, a quest that ended in failure and death. The death of his wife has deprived him of all hope and led him to pursue a different course of research...
- Margarete Wagner
The beautiful daughter of an alchemist living in the Middle Ages. Margarete is a cheerful, active girl, who never hesitates to put her thoughts into action. Plagued by household chores, Margarete dreams of someday being able to leave it all behind. After meeting Eike, Margarete develops a longing to the present.
- Hugo Wagner
Doctor Wagner's son and Margarete's little brother, Hugo worries constantly about his ailing mother. His feelings toward his father are complex, including a streak that borders on hatred resulting from his father's apparent obsession with his research in spite of the condition of Hugo's mother. Hugo is an extremely quick thinker at an awkward age.
- Helena Wagner
Doctor Wagner's wife, Helena is also the mother of Margarete and Hugo. Already blind when Eike visits her, Helena is a bedridden invalid. She dies soon after...
- Alfred Brum
Alfred is the great-grandfather of Eckart Brum as well as Sibylla's father. He is the man who decides to convert the old family home into an art museum.
- Sibylla Brum
Alfred's daughter, Sibylla is a strong-minded, precocious girl. Sibylla looks after her younger brother every day and therefore longs for some company other than a sleeping baby.
- Oleg Franssen
Oleg is a film producer. He appears to find his conversations with Eike in 1980 particularly inspiring. His ancestors include a photograper in the early 1900s and a painter in the 1580s.
[edit] Time Periods
- Present day (2001)
The time period the game begins in, and where most of the story progresses. Eike can travel to a few hours behind and ahead in this time.Each time frame has a distinct colour palette from each other.
- 1979-80
Roughly 22 years before present day. The town is barely different from present time, except snow is still falling. Eike travels here and enounters a young Mr. Brum whom is celebrating the birth of his daughter... 1 year later, Eike travels to this time when his life is threatened by vehicular homicide. Eike meets a young film director, whose burning out on ideas. A mysterious murder occurs and a woman's child is taken...1979 a blue tinted colour while 1980 is the same colour scheme as the present day but much softer/whiter.
- 1902
Nearly a century before Eike's time, here Eike meets the ancestor of Mr. Brum. Winter has settled in, yet the town does not look very different. It is possible to change the future by suggesting the estate become a library or a museum. The world is all in monochrome, except Eike.
- 1580
Eike is sent to this time early in the story, along with another person. This period is where another significant portion of the story unfolds. A simpler time, the town is still growing into what it will be in the future. Here Eike meets an aging alchemist hunting for knowledge, his son who hopes to follow in his footsteps and his daughter, who seems to have her eye on Eike and his 'future world'. The color of the world is in sepiatone, whereas Eike remains in full color.
- Void
The home of Homunculus (although not technically a time period). Eike finds himself here in the start of the story and each time he dies. It appears as a large portion of a floor, with various shelves, books, statues, and busts strewn about. A window can be seen looking into another world, and a solitary door returns Eike to his time. Though Eike only appears here in the outset of the story, it is possible to return, but only if the player reaches certain objectives.
[edit] Themes
Multiple themes are displayed throughout the story.
The central theme is the concept of fate. Fate is defined as the final destiny of one's life, the end of the road in other words. It is inevitable, and is impossible to avoid. In Shadow of Memories, fate is portrayed quite literally; it is the ultimate point in one's life. If someone dies, that is their fate; if he is whisked away by some unknown figure, again it is fate. Yet, like many stories that use the device of Time Travel, it allows for flexibility in fate. Eike is able to deter his death by finding a way to avoid the killing blow by multiple means. Despite his attempts, Eike is only able to prolong his life for a while longer; he cannot rest until he has unmasked his assassin.
Time travel is the second theme. A theory in many studies, time travel is also used as plot device in many science-fiction novels, films and a few video games.
Other concepts are small ideologies of existentialism. Eike and other characters occasionally ponder the meaning of their existence. Eike wishes to ensure his survival, and will do whatever he can to achieve it. A few other characters express the feeling of displacement and not fitting into their own time.
Alongside this theme, each character has a goal in life. Eike wishes to preserve his life and stop his assailant, and uncover his/her reason for trying to kill him. Mr. Brum has a fleeting hope of finding his long-lost daughter. Dr. Wagner strives to find the Philosopher's stone and discover the secret of life. Margarete wants to see the future and find her true place in life. Hugo desires to be noticed by his father. The Homunculus wishes to help save Eike, though he may have more in mind than just being a helpful hand.
[edit] Endings
There are eight endings to the game. Six are available at first. The last two must be unlocked by achieving the first seven. The endings are presented in an alpabetical format, A-E, with B having two variations, and then two "EX" endings.
There are certain events that can affect the ending:
In chapter 5, you tell Margarete she is your ancestor(endings A - C) or say nothing(D & E).
- Ending A
Eike travels to 1980 and finds Homunculus lying in the snow at the park, exhausted. He tells of how he switched two babies, revealing that Dana is really Margarete and Margarete is the real Dana. Homunculus explains the fragility of his body, and denies the murder of Mrs. Eckert. He switched babies so there would be a link in timelines for Eike to follow. Eike requests that Homunculus returns to the present to help Hugo, which he agrees to. Eike then visits the fortune teller and is shocked to learn that she is really Helena Wagner, now a disembodied spirit trapped in this plane. Upon leaving the shop, which returns to ruins, Homunculus appears and is scared by the spiritual presence. Eike gets the idea to summon Dr. Wagner's spirit to talk sense into Hugo, which Homunculus does. Hugo and his 'father' talk. then vanish in a haze of smoke, at which Margarete realizes it's not her real father. Homunculus tells her and Eike that Dr. Wagner isn't dead yet.
Eike then realizes he was a pawn. All the time he thought he was saving his own life, it was really to ensure Homunculus was born. Homunculus tells Eike he did save them both, then requests the Digipad back. Eike complies, but accidentally drops the device, which sends a shard into Homunculus and kills him. Eike declares it was fate that befell the creature. Margarete is adopted by the Eckerts, who feel almost like they got their daughter back. She and Eike are at the park where they find a tree, in the spot where Homunculus died. Inside the tree is the Philosopher's stone.
- Ending B1
Eike finds Homunculus and then returns to the present. When the time comes, Hugo is fed up and decides to abandon Margarete in the present, which will corrupt history. Mr. Eckert appears and wrestles Hugo, telling him to value what he still has, not take it out on others. Hugo apologizes and returns to the past with Margarete, and Eckert leaves. Eike returns the Digipad, then decides to have a drink at the bar to celebrate living.
- Ending B2
Eike discovers the fortune teller's identity. Eike convinces Hugo to enter the hut, where his mother's spirit collapses the building with him in it, killing him. Homunculus appears and Eike talks about being a pawn. Eike returns Margarete to her own time, returns to the present, and gives Homunculus the Digipad back. Eike decides to have a drink at the bar to celebrate living.
- Ending C
Eike neither finds the fortune teller nor tries to find Homunculus, but instead (after telling Margaret she's his ancestor and not convincing Dana to return with him) travels to 1580 and enters the ruined lab. He searches for a way to reverse the past but is forced to hide when he hears Hugo and Margarete's footsteps. While Hugo searches for his father's research a huge time machine appears in the room and an elderly Hugo steps out, offering to teach the younger Hugo how to use his time machine. Eike gets out of hiding and frightens the elder Hugo. Old Hugo tries to escape, threatening Margarete, but Hugo intervenes by grabbing him. This results in a dimensional paradox and both Hugos cease to exist. Eike goes back to find Homunculus completely alone and then learns he's Homonculus' pawn. After Homunculus leaves Eike with a cryptic farewell, Eike realizes he has been missing the beauty in the world, and lies down in the street to look at the stars. Two drunk men then run him over in their car. The camera then focuses on Eike's broken body as he dies. The credits do not roll.
- Ending D
Eike allows Dana to stay in 1580 and he travels to and enters the ruined lab. Eike finds Wagner's notes about the stone and burns them, just as Hugo and Margarete enter. When they leave, Eike returns to the present. Hugo begins to fade away, while his past self tries to read the burning notes; upon which past Margarete convinces him to help find their father. Hugo completely vanishes, then Margarete follows soon after. Eike talks with Homunculus and asks a question about Wagner, who avoids answering and takes back the Digipad. Dr. Wagner's discovery is revealed when he is shown working in his lab, moments before its destruction. Homunculus is created and tells Wagner he can have a wish, but at the cost of his soul. Wagner laments his lost years. Upon wishing for eternal youth, Wagner tries to reseal the creature with a pentagram, who retaliates by erasing Wagner's memories. When the smoke clears, the viewer can see that Wagner actually is Eike. Eike/Wagner picks up the stone, then aimlessly wanders the town, with no memory of who he is (the truth of Eike's origins are hinted in ending A, when Homunculus claims that Wagner still lives, and in ending E, when Wagner's real daughter, Dana, thinks of Eike as a father figure).
- Ending E
Eike convinces Dana to return to the present, but she is taken hostage by Hugo. Eike goes to 1580 and enters the lab, where he finds Margarete who is wondering where Hugo went and why there is a strange machine in the basement. Eike asks Margarete to come with him to Eike's time, and she agrees. When they arrive, Eike tells her that Hugo is trying to kill him, and she storms into the square to confront Hugo. She tries to reason with him, slaps him, and finally he backs down. Hugo promises to destroy his time machine when they get back home, and they leave via his time machine outside the city. Homunculus gets the Digipad back and he tells Eike the fate of Dr.Wagner:Once freed from his seal Wagner wishes to never see Homunculus again at which point he arranges for his permanent departure and gains his soul. Dana comments on how Hugo makes her think of how her brother would be, if she had one. Dana is still a bit upset about missing four years of her life, and Eike assumes responsibility. Dana tells him he sounds like a father, and they walk away together.
- EX Endings
The EX ending has three parts with two possible climaxes, but only one final scene. In EX mode, Eike can choose the phrases, "What, again?" and "Oh, Homunculus." Then, when Eike is awakened in the diner, he can visit the fortune teller. He tells her he's met her before, but not in this reality. She tells Eike that he can change fate to his liking. Eike then visits the square and watches the juggler, who gives him a message concerning the Philosopher's stone. Eike then returns to the diner, and retrieves the stone. He then enters the burning building.
- Ending EX choice 1
Eike travels to the 1500s and meets Margarete, and follows her home. He gives Dr. Wagner the stone, which allows him to make an elixir and save Helena from her illness. Eike wanders into the night and disappears from existence, happy to have broken the endless loop of fate he was in.
- Ending EX choice 2
Eike dies in the fire and confronts Homunculus in the void. He asks Homunculus to reveal himself and then throws the stone at him, destroying them both. Eike then fades away.
Regardless of either choice, the final scene is the same. A black screen, sounds of people talking, babies being born, life flourishing. A young man who looks like Eike is walking through the street in present day, and he is struck down like before. It turns out to be a soccer ball that hit him. A boy who looks like Hugo appears, and the Eike look-alike returns the ball, then continues his stroll through the streets. This gives the presumption that they are descendants of the Wagner family rather being the family themselves.
Each ending is an individual outcome, each replay is simply another time-line where Eike made different choices, and leads to its own end. Together the endings help explain many of the events in the story, though certain circumstances remain unsolvable (such as the reason behind the murder of Mrs. Brum, the original situation that led to the circle of fate in the story).
[edit] Cast
- Eike Kusch - Scott Keck
- Margarete Wagner - Jeanne Hartmann
- Dana - Julie Parker
- Hugo Wagner - Jim Singer
- Homunculus - Charles Martinet
- Eckart Brum - Bruce Robertson
- Dr. Wolfgang Wagner - Bruce Robertson
- Alfred Brum - Bruce Robertson
- Sibylla Brum - Shiela Rose
- Oleg Franssen - Doug Boyd
- Helena Wagner - Kathryn Nymoen
- Fortuneteller - Kathryn Nymoen
- Miriam Brum - Kathryn Nymoen
- Barman - Bruce Robertson
- Photographer - Doug Boyd
- Cafe Manager - Doug Boyd
- Night Watchman - J.S. Gilbert
- Young Man #1 - Justin Shenkarow
- Young man #2 - Jim Singer
- Woman #1 - Jean Mazzei
- Woman #2 - Kathryn Nymoen
- Daughter - Jeanne Hartmann
- Rubbernecker #1 - Ken Ogasawara
- Rubbernecker #2 - Mark Bruhn
- Rubbernecker #3 - Matt Campagna
- Rubbernecker #4 - Jesse Semler
- Girl #1 - Lori Carcare
- Girl #2 - Tricia Riel
- Girl #3 - Ali Johnston
- Girl #4 - Debbie Rogers
- Pedestrian #1 - Terrence McGovern
- Pedestrian #2 - Doug Boyd
- Pedestrian #3 - Lori Carcare
- Pedestrian #4 - Pete Fallico
- Pedestrian #5 - Debbie Rogers
- Pedestrian #6 - Terrence McGovern
- Pedestrian #7 - Jean Mazzei
- Pedestrian #8 - Peter Dalrymple
- Pedestrian #9 - J.S. Gilbert
- Pedestrian #10 - Doug Macintosh
- Cat - Junko Kawano
- Radio Ad 1 - Doug Boyd
- Radio Ad 2 & 3 - Kathryn Nymoen
